Head of IT Governance, Risk and Compliance

Head-IT Governance-SUPPORT SERVICES-CTO Head Job Description – Head of IT Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) Location : Mumbai, India Reporting To : CTO Role Overview The Head of IT GRC will lead the enterprise-wide governance, risk, and compliance agenda for IT across Kotak Bank. This role is responsible for establishing a robust governance framework, ensuring strict regulatory adherence, and driving a risk-aware culture aligned with business strategy. As a key member of senior leadership, the incumbent will act as a trusted advisor to the Board and Executive Committees, ensuring IT risks are effectively managed, regulatory expectations are proactively addressed, and governance practices are best-in-class. Key Responsibilities 1. Enterprise GRC Leadership & Governance Define and own the enterprise-wide IT GRC strategy, framework, and operating model aligned with RBI, SEBI, and global regulatory standards. Provide leadership oversight for all IT policies, governance frameworks, standards, and SOPs across the organization. Chair or contribute to Board-level governance forums, Risk Committees, and IT Steering Committees. Ensure strong alignment between IT governance practices and corporate governance principles. 2. Policy Strategy, Design & Oversight Drive formulation, approval, and periodic review of enterprise-wide IT and GRC policies. Ensure policies reflect evolving regulatory expectations, emerging risks, and global best practices. Establish robust policy lifecycle management, version control, and audit readiness mechanisms. Provide authoritative interpretation of regulatory guidelines for executive decision-making. 3. Enterprise Risk & Regulatory Compliance Leadership Own the IT risk management framework, ensuring integration with enterprise risk and ICAAP frameworks. Act as the primary interface for regulators (RBI, SEBI, etc.) on IT governance, cybersecurity, and compliance matters. Anticipate regulatory changes and emerging risks, guiding proactive mitigation strategies. Ensure consistent adherence to Basel III principles, IT risk frameworks, and regulatory mandates. 4. Process Excellence, Transformation & Digitization Drive enterprise-wide standardization and optimization of governance and compliance processes across businesses and subsidiaries. Lead digitization and automation initiatives for policy management, compliance tracking, and risk reporting. Enhance operational efficiency by simplifying governance workflows and eliminating redundancies. 5. Strategic Advisory & Stakeholder Management Serve as a strategic advisor to the Board, CEO, CIO, CRO, and senior leadership on IT risk, governance, and compliance matters. Build strong partnerships across Risk, Compliance, Legal, Audit, Technology, and Business units. Influence and drive organization-wide adoption of governance frameworks and risk culture. Represent the Bank in regulatory discussions, industry forums, and external audits. 6. Monitoring, Reporting & Assurance Establish enterprise dashboards, KRIs/KPIs, and MIS frameworks to track IT governance effectiveness. Provide periodic insights and reports to Board Committees and senior management. Ensure timely escalation of critical risks and compliance gaps. Drive continuous improvement based on audit findings, regulatory inspections, and industry benchmarks. 7. Team Leadership & Capability Building Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing IT GRC function across multiple domains. Develop leadership pipeline and specialized capabilities within GRC, risk analytics, and compliance. Foster a culture of accountability, integrity, and continuous learning. Qualifications & Experience Postgraduate / MBA / CA / CS / LLB or equivalent professional qualification. 22–30 years of experience in Governance, Risk & Compliance, IT Risk, or Risk Consulting, with deep exposure to Banking / Financial Services. Proven leadership experience in driving enterprise-scale governance and compliance programs. Strong expertise in RBI regulations, Basel III, ICAAP, IT Risk Management, and enterprise governance frameworks. Prior experience in senior leadership roles managing large GRC or risk functions is essential. Skills & Competencies Strong strategic orientation with the ability to align regulatory requirements with business goals. Executive-level communication and influencing skills, including Board interaction. Deep expertise in policy formulation, regulatory interpretation, and risk governance. Strong leadership and stakeholder management across complex organizational structures. High analytical capability to identify systemic risks, control gaps, and process inefficiencies. Familiarity with advanced GRC platforms, risk analytics, and regulatory intelligence tools. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Effectiveness and maturity of enterprise IT GRC framework. Reduction in regulatory observations, audit findings, and compliance breaches. Timeliness and quality of policy lifecycle management. Strength of risk culture and governance adoption across business units. Quality of Board-level reporting and strategic insights on IT risk. Successful regulatory inspections and supervisory reviews. Experience Level Executive Level